Marisol VanceFounder & Head Roaster (fictional)
Started roasting on a secondhand drum in a Candler garage in 2019 and still signs off every batch by cupping it against last week's. Believes a roast log is a love letter you write to Thursday.
Our story
It started witha garage and a bad fan.
Ember Roast began in 2019 as a secondhand drum roaster in a Candler garage, a smoke alarm with opinions, and a folding table at the West Asheville tailgate market.
How we got here
From market stall to Kilnhouse Avenue
The market stall taught us the only lesson that matters: people come back for the cup, not the pitch. When the old upholstery workshop on Kilnhouse Avenue came up for lease in 2021, we moved the drum in first and figured out the furniture later.
The bones of the building set the tone. Brick that has been warm since the forties, beams we could not bring ourselves to paint, and a long north window that makes even a rainy Tuesday feel like a good place to be. We added lamplight, plants, a brew bar, and a rule we have never broken: nobody gets rushed out of a chair.
What we believe
Four things we refuse to rush
Roast to the cup
The roast log is a promise. If a batch does not out-cup last week's, it does not pour, and we drink the evidence ourselves.
Slow is a feature
A pour-over takes four minutes. That is not a wait; that is the point. We built the room so four minutes feels like a gift.
Neighbors first
Our pastry case is our neighbor's bakery, our playlist is half regulars' requests, and the window seat belongs to whoever got there first, forever.
No pretense
We will happily talk process temperature and terroir, but only if you ask. Otherwise: it is delicious, it is warm, and it is yours.
The people
Who keeps the drum turning
A dozen of us all told: two names below, plus the counter crew who know your order and your dog's name in that order.
Theo BrandtCafe Lead (fictional)
Ran bars in Portland and Raleigh before landing here. Trains every barista to taste the shot before it leaves the counter, and to know when a regular wants conversation or quiet.
Come sit a while
Come see the room for yourself.
The best version of this story is told from a chair by the north window, cup in hand. We saved you a seat.
Reserve a tasting
See the full menu
Or just walk in. 24 Kilnhouse Avenue, Asheville, North Carolina 28801. Fictional demo; form responses are simulated.